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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: content · bark · wave · nail · tube · branch · stand · spring

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. spring — of water
  3. bark — to shout
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. content — the amount
  6. spring — a coil
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. tube — the underground
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. content — happy
  12. tube — a container
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. spring — the season
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. stand — to bear
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. branch — a division

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com